Mill housing



B. G. MELUN 3,049,074

MILL HOUSING 2 Sheets-Sheet l F l G l Aug. 14, 1962 Filed April 20, 1959 B. G. MELLIN MILL HOUSING Aug. 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2O 1959 United States Patent 3,049,074 MIILL HOUSING Bror G. Mellin, University City, M0., assigner to Fulton Iron Works Co., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Apr. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 807,631 2 Claims. (Cl. 100-162) This invention relates to improvements in mill housings, such for example, as the housings used on sugar cane mills where a mass of cane passes between crushing or grinding rolls at one or more roll stands. In such mills the problem of removing, repairing and replacing the crushing or grinding rolls and the bearing assemblies associated therewith has heretofore been complicated by the fact that the parts which must be handled are extremely heavy and cumbersome and are awkward to handle, and yet must occasionally be removed and repaired or replaced in order to keep the mill in satisfactory operating condition. It is very important that the lost time making such repairs and removing and reassembling the parts be kept at a minimum. In the known mill housings the down time required for making repairs and adjustments where disassembly and roll removal is necessary has been substantial because of the relatively large number of parts that have to be removed and replaced and because of the numerous adjustments required. Furthermore, adjustment of the parts in known constructions is time consuming and difficult because of the relatively large number of parts involved.

These and other disadvantages of the known devices are overcome by the present device which comprises a mill stand having a pair of spaced mill housings with positions thereon for supporting an upper roll assembly and a pair of spaced lower roll assemblies including bearing means for each of said assemblies, each of said mill housings having an upright portion for the upper roll assembly and platforms adjacent to the upright portion for the lower roll assemblies, said housings also having girder support members which extend angularly over associated end portions of the lower rolls being attached to fixed locations on the housing, at least one end of each of said girder members being pivotally connected to the housing and the opposite ends thereof being releasably connected to the housing so that when said opposite ends are released the girders can be angularly moved to positions exposing the associated lower -roll assembly end portions whereby said lower roll assemblies can be lifted out or replaced on the housing.

A principal object of the present invention is to simplify the removal and replacement of the mill roll assemblies in a mill housing.

Another object is to increase the upper roll support in a three-roll mill housing.

Another object is to provide adjustable girder supports for a three-roll mill housing.

Another object is to simplify the construction and reduce the number of parts in a mill housing and to eliminate side caps and transverse bolts.

Another object is to increase the roll adjustment in a mill housing and thereby extend the useful life of the mill rolls.

Another object is to increase the strength and rigidity of a mill housing.

Another object is to provide a less expensive, less complicated, and lighter weight mill housing for a crushing mill.

Still another object is to reduce lost time making repairs and replacement of parts in a crushing mill.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after considering the following detailed specication in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FlG. l is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a crushing mill housing constructed according to the teachings of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the mill housing as seen from the left in FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the mill housing in FIG. l, the housing being shown in condition for removal and replacement of a roll assembly,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing a modified form of the lower girder connection in a mill housing, and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 4.

To illustrate one embodiment of the invention, there is shown in the drawings a housing 10 for a three-roll mill stand on which are mounted a bagasse roll 12, a cane or feed roll 14 and an upper or pressure roll 16.

Of particular importance to the present invention is the construction of the housing 10 on which the rolls 12, 14 and 16 are mounted and it is intended that two similar hou-sings are provided at each stand, one located at each end of the rolls. It is also contemplated that each of the rolls 12, 14 and 16 will have a drive gear on one end thereof and that the drive gears for the lower rolls will be meshed with the drive gear for the upper roll in a manner well known to three roll mills. The housing 10 has a central upstanding and angularly tilted bearing support column 1S for the upper roll 16. The column 18 is formed integral with a lower base portion 20 and has a recess 22 extending downwardly from the upper end thereof which receives a bearing assembly 24 for the upper roll 16. The recess 22 also receives a ram 26 which applies downward pressure on the bearing assembly 24 and keeps downward pressure on the roll 16 against the lower rolls 12 and 14. The ram pressure added to the Weight of the top roll 16 determines the crushing force of the stand, and the angular relationship of the downward pressure produced by the ram 26 causes greater force to be exerted between the upper roll 16 and the bagasse roll 12 than is produced between the upper roll and the feed roll 14 for well known reasons.

The base portion 20 of the housing 10v has pair of horizontal platforms 28 and 30 formed on opposite sides of the column 18. The platform 28 slidably supports a bearing assembly 32 for the bagasse roll 12, and the platform 30 slidably supports a bearing assembly 34 for the feed roll 14.

An upwardly extending member 36 is formed integral with the base member 20 on the outer end of the platform 28. The member 36 has a straight horizontal crossbore 3S which receives a threaded adjustment member 40. The member 40 extends from the left end of the bore 38 for engagement with the bearing assembly 32 (FIG. l), and also extends from the right end of the bore 38 and has a wrench head 42 thereon which is turned when adjusting the position of the bearing assembly 32 on the platform 28. Adjusting the position of the bearing assembly 32 also adjusts the position and to some extent the load on the bagasse roll 12. A square nut 44 is provided on the threaded member 40* and the nut 44 is prevented from turning when the member 40 is turned by a stud 45 on the member 36 (FIG. l). A lock plate 43 with a hexagonal opening is also bolted to the member 36 and prevents the member 40 from accidentally turning.

The upwardly extending member 36 on the base 20 has a rounded upper portion with a transverse horizontal cross-bore 46 therethrough. In like manner, the nearest side of the upright column 18 to the mem-ber 36 also has an integral outwardly extending rounded portion `48 with a horizontal cross-bore S therethrough. Both of the cross-bores 46 and 5f) preferably contain tubular bushings 51, as shown in FIG. l. A girder 52 extends between the members 48 and 36, and the girder 52 has spaced and rounded end portions 53 (FIG. 3) which cooperate to receive the portions 36 and 48 therebetween. The girder end portions S3 also have cross-bores 54 with tubular bushings 55 which are aligned with cross-bores 46 and 50 respectively in the members 36 and 48 to receive pins 5S and 56 respectively therethrough. In connection with the pins 5S and 56, it should be noted that end caps 55a and 56a are bolted to one end thereof to prevent them from working out of their installed positions.

Of importance to the present invention is the fact that when either of the pins 55 or 56 is removed the corresponding end of the girder 52 can be pivoted outwardly away from the platform 28 thereby leaving a wide open space above the bearing assembly 32 and the bagasse roll 12 through which the bearing assembly is moved when the roll 12 is lifted out of the housing 10. Ordinarily the pins 56 at the upper end of the girders are removed and the girders swung outwardly, although it is also contemplated to remove the lower pins 55 and swing the girders upwardly instead. Before the roll assembly 12 and its associated drive gear (not shown) are lifted out of the housing it may also be required to back the threaded members 40 off to permit greater clearance for the parts. It is not necessary, however, in order to remove the roll and the bearing assembly from the housing, to remove any of the parts of the housing other than those requiring repair or replacement. This is important because it enables the bagasse roll 12 and the bearing assemblies 32 associated therewith (or the feed roll 14) to be removed and replaced easily and quickly and without having to handle and remove or disassemble other large, cumbersome and awkward parts. As is often times the case when repairs are made, all three-roll assemblies are removed. If this is necessary, then the upper roll 16 is removed first so that the lower roll assemblies can be removed without losing their positional adjustment.

A similar construction to that employed for the bagasse roll 12 is employed for the feed roll 14 on the opposite side of the upright column 13. In this case a shorter girder 58 is used and is supported at its lower end on a base member 60 similar to the member 36, and on its upper end by a member 62 fomled on the column 18.

In FIG. 1 the left-hand girder 58 is also shown in an alternate position by phantom outline to illustrate the manner in which it is swung outwardly from the housing to facilitate removal and installation of the feed roll assembly including the bearing assembly 34.

The girders 52 and 58 also have outwardly projecting land members 72 and 74 respectively formed on the lower outer surfaces thereof which cooperate by engaging stud elements 76 and 78 respectively on the members 36 and 60 when the girders are moved to their outward or open positions. Cooperation of the lands 72 and 74 on the associated studs 76 and 78 limits the outward angular displacement of the girders 52 and 58 and prevents the girders from falling over and getting in the way or doing damage. In FIG. 3 the girders 52 and 58 are shown in their outward or open positions with the upper pins 56 removed, and with the bearing assemblies 32 and 34 removed for clarity.

The member 60, like member 36, also has a straight bore 82 that receives a threaded adjustment member 84 which is used for positioning the bearing assembly 34 on the platform 30. The threaded member 84 also has a wrench head 86 and a square nut 88, and a stud 89 on the member 60 prevents the nut 88 from turning when adjustment is made. A lock plate, similar to lock plate 43, is also provided.

A similar housing 101 is provided at both ends of the rolls and it is understood that the construction and operation of both housings is to be substantially the same.

Also means are provided to prevent endwise displacement of the bearing assemblies on their associated platforms. Such is shown in FIG. l of the drawings as consisting of overhanging and downwardly extending portions 32a and 34a on the bearing assemblies 32 and 34 respectively which permit the assemblies to track on the platforms but prevents sidewise movement thereof. Obviously other ways could also be used to accomplish this, such as by providing grooves or tracks in the platforms themselves.

FGS. 4 and 5 show a modified form of the device in which one end connection on each of the girders 52 and 58 is provided with an eccentric pivotal connection. In the drawings the eccentric connection for the girder 5S is shown consisting of an eccentric pin 64 positioned in suitable aligned holes in the girder 58 and in the member 6). The eccentric pin 64 has an end cap 66 attached to one end thereof which is integral with an arm 67 that extends upwardly along the front side of the girder 58. The arm 67 has its upper end connected to the girder 58 by a threaded connector 63 and is movable in a track 7tl formed in a plate 71 when the threaded connector 68 is loosened. The eccentric feature makes it possible to adjust the longitudinal position of the girder 58 and to some extent the pressure on the girder 53. The eccentric feature also provides means for taking up looseness in the girder so that better support is provided thereby for the upright column 18, and the eccentric feature also facilitates installation of the girder by enabling the pin holes in the housing members to be more easily lined up. It is contemplated that the eccentric feature be used also on the girder 52 with the same incident advantages.

The pins `55, 56 and 64 in the various constructions shown are usually formed of hardened metal for better wear and stress characteristics.

Thus it is apparent that there has been shown and described a mill housing for a three-roll crushing stand which fulfills all of the objects and advantages sought therefor, said mill housing comprising a base portion having a pair of spaced horizontal bearing supporting platforms for supporting lower crushing roll assemblies and the bearing members associated therewith, an upright portion with a recess therein for supporting an upper roll assembly, and a pair of girder means connected between opposite ends of said pair of platforms and said upright portion, said girder means being connected at opposite ends thereof to the associated housing portions, the girder connecting means including means permitting angular displacement of the girder means in a direction to expose the lower roll assemblies for removal and replacement.

Various other changes, alterations, modifications and variations of the present device will become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such changes, alterations, modifications and variations which do not depart from the spirit and scope of this invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims -which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. A three roll crushing mill comprising a pair of similar spaced roll housings each having two spaced horizontal platforms for supporting lower roll assemblies and an upright column positioned therebetween for supporting an upper roll assembly, bearing means on each end of each of said lower roll assemblies, said bearing means respectively being slidably supported on one of said platforms for movement thereon toward or away from the column, threaded means on each of said housings cooperatively engaging each of said lower roll `bearing means for moving the associated lower roll assemblies into closer operative position to the upper roll assembly, a slot formed in the top of the upright columns on each of said housings and extending angularly downwardly relative to the platforms, an upper roll assembly having bearing means thereon slidably positioned in the said slots, pressure means positioned in said slots above the said upper roll bearing means for exerting downward but yieldable force on the said upper roll assemblies in a direction to apply unequal crushing force between the upper roll assembly and the said two lower roll assemblies, and girder means on each of said housings having one end connected to the column and extending therefrom over an associated one of said lower bearing means for connection at the opposite end to the housing on the opposite side of the associated bearing means from said column, said girder means including eccentric connection means for connection to the associated housings at one end thereof, said girder means being releasable at one end for hinged movement about the other end to a position opening up a space above the said associated lower roll bearing means, the threaded means for said lower roll bearing assemblies being retractable in the housing away from the column so that the associated lower roll assemblies can be lifted off of their associated platforms and clear the upper roll assembly by substantially -a vertical lifting operation only.

2. The mill defined in claim 1 wherein said threaded means for cooperatively engaging the lower roll bearing assemblies include locking means to retain a position of adjustment thereof on the housing.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 2,759 Denney Sept. 3, 1867 182,377 Mallen Sept. 19, 1876 762,211 Stuart June 7, 1904 1,372,006 De Bruin Mar. 22, 1921 1,642,059 Bower Sept. 13, 1927 1,844,877 Wentzel Feb. 9, 1932 1,899,202 Kopke et al. Feb. 28, 1933 2,612,101 Bernard Sept. 30, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 639,198 Great Britain June 2l, 1950 749,109 Great Britain May 16, 1956 

